Indian government launched projects like Aadhar, National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid), Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Central Monitoring System (CMS), Centre for Communication Security Research and Monitoring (CCSRM), etc. None of them are governed by any Legal Framework and none of them are under parliamentary scrutiny.

Home ministry is suggesting that the way intelligence and investigation agencies are exempted under schedule 2 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, they should be kept out of the proposed privacy Bill in view of national security.

Under schedule 2 of the RTI Act, citizens are restricted from seeking information from agencies such as the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Research and Analysis Wing, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the National Investigation Agency, the National Intelligence Grid and the National Technical Research Organisation.

Home ministry do not wants the privacy Bill to interfere with intelligence gathering activities even if means accommodating more safeguards in line with the sprit of the privacy Bill.

This seems to be an unreasonable demand as we must now stress upon great parliamentary scrutiny of intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies. On the contrary we are diluting the constitutional freedoms and procedural safeguards. It is high time for parliament of India to interfere and enact constitutionally sound laws in this regard.